PPL Checkride Guide
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Quick Reference

Updated July 2026 · by Jeff, pilot and builder of Zeekin Around

The drill-them-cold blocks: every memory acronym, the V-speed table, and the weight & balance method. Built for the night before, and the parking lot outside the DPE's office.

The preflight chain

The acronyms below are easier to hold onto once you can see where each one fires. This is the order they run in, from deciding to fly to the last chance to call it off.

Preflight go/no-go decision flow (14 CFR 91.103)Preflight go/no-go decision flow. Eleven steps in order, from deciding to fly to the final go/no-go call. 1. Decide to fly. 2. Pilot legal to fly: medical, flight review, currency (61.23, 61.56, 61.57). 3. Pilot fit to fly, IMSAFE: illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue, emotion or eating. 4. Aircraft airworthy, AV1ATES: annual, VOR check, 100-hour, altimeter and pitot-static, transponder, ELT, service bulletins and airworthiness directives complied with. 5. Documents aboard, ARROW: airworthiness certificate, registration, radio station license for international flights only, operating limitations, weight and balance. 6. Weather and NOTAMs, the N-W-K of NWKRAFT: NOTAMs, weather, known ATC delays (91.103). 7. Route and performance, the R-A-F-T of NWKRAFT: runway lengths, alternates, fuel requirements, takeoff and landing distances. 8. Assess risk, PAVE: pilot, aircraft, enVironment, external pressures. 9. Preflight inspection: walkaround, fuel, oil, controls. 10. Load and brief passengers: seatbelts, doors, sterile cockpit. 11. Final go/no-go: a red flag at any step means the flight does not go.Decide to flyPilot legal to flyMedical · flight review · currency (61.23, 61.56, 61.57)Pilot fit to fly: IMSAFEIllness · Medication · Stress · Alcohol · Fatigue · Emotion/EatingAircraft airworthy: AV1ATESAnnual · VOR · 100-hour · Altimeter · Transponder · ELTService bulletins & ADs complied withDocs aboard: ARROWAirworthiness · Registration · Radio (international only)Operating limitations · Weight & balanceWeather & NOTAMs: NWKRAFT (N·W·K)NOTAMs · Weather · Known ATC delays (91.103)Route & performance: NWKRAFT (R·A·F·T)Runway lengths · Alternates · Fuel · Takeoff/landing distancesAssess risk: PAVEPilot · Aircraft · enVironment · External pressuresPreflight inspectionWalkaround · fuel · oil · controlsLoad & brief passengersSeatbelts · doors · sterile cockpitFinal go / no-goAny red flag at any step = don't fly
Reading it: the chain runs pilot → aircraft → planning → risk → walkaround → passengers. A red flag at any box stops the flight; there is no step that a later step makes up for.NWKRAFT is one mnemonic (91.103), split here because weather and NOTAMs drive whether the route is worth planning at all.

Walked through step by step on the preflight go/no-go page.

Memory acronyms

VFR weather minimums

Four wedges cover every VFR minimum in 91.155. Find the class, read the code. Class A is IFR only.

VFR weather minimums triangle (14 CFR 91.155)VFR weather minimums triangle. Class E and Class G above 10,000 MSL: 5 SM with 1,000 above, 1,000 below, 1 SM horizontal. Class C, D, E and Class G at night: 3 SM with 1,000 above, 500 below, 2,000 horizontal. Class B: 3 SM clear of clouds. Class G by day: above 1,200 AGL 1 SM with 1,000 above, 500 below, 2,000 horizontal; at or below 1,200 AGL 1 SM clear of clouds. Class A is IFR only and has no VFR minimums.Class E and Gabove 10,000 MSL5-111Class C, D, Eand G at night3-152Class B3 SMclear of cloudsClass G, day1-1521,200 AGL1 SMclear of clouds
Codes: visibility in SM, then cloud clearance above / below / horizontal.5-111: 5 SM · 1,000 · 1,000 · 1 SM
3-152: 3 SM · 1,000 · 500 · 2,000
1-152: 1 SM, same clearancesDashed line is 1,200 AGL. Class A is IFR only, with no VFR minimums.

Dimensions, equipment, and the Special VFR exception live on the National Airspace System task page.

V-speeds

Weight & balance method

  1. List each station's weight: empty aircraft, front seats, rear seats, baggage, fuel (gal × 6 lb for 100LL).
  2. Multiply weight × arm = moment for each station.
  3. Sum the weights; sum the moments.
  4. Total moment ÷ total weight = CG.
  5. Confirm weight is at or under max gross and CG is inside the envelope at that weight; check the envelope, not just the numbers.

Worked scenarios (including the over-gross trap case) live on the Performance & Limitations task page.

Study strategy (spaced repetition, chair flying, aircraft-specific numbers) lives on the How to Prepare page.